Christmas is upon us! Struggling to decide what films to watch, with the thousands of Christmas films out there to choose from? Understandable. But we at CeX don’t like you to struggle, so here are the 5 best festive flicks of all time. Watch all 5 and you’ll have a perfect Christmas – that’s a promise!
Elf
Now a shocking 12 years old, Elf is showing no signs of ageing. You all know the story. Will Ferrell plays Buddy, a human raised by elves who finds himself in New York City searching for his true family. But his father Walter (James Caan) is on Santa’s naughty list due to his greed and selfishness as a child. Buddy most show him the true meaning of Christmas and reconnect with him in this family-friendly but not overly-cheesy Christmas classic!
Festive fun fact – When Elf’s screenplay first surfaced in 1993, Jim Carrey was attached for the lead role. It’s hard to imagine anyone but Ferrell in the role now.
Elf at CeX
Bad Santa
Bad Santa is described by The Washington Times as ‘Miracle on 34th Street’s evil twin’, which tells you all you need to know. Hilariously rude and offensive, Bad Santa isn’t for everyone but brought something new to the Christmas film genre – some balls. Billy Bob Thornton shines as the crude Willie Stokes, an alcoholic sex-addict who disguises as a department store Santa with the help of his dwarfed assistant Marcus (who disguises as an elf) to steal from the stores they’re working at.
Festive fun fact – Billy Bob Thornton admits to being genuinely very drunk during the filming. Talk about method acting…
Bad Santa at CeX
National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation
The third installment in the Vacation film series, National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation is extremely deserving of a spot on this list. Chevy Chase reprises his iconic role as Clark Griswold, ‘the last true family man’. As he scrambles to make the perfect Christmas for his family at home, things go from bad to worse in a series of increasingly unlucky situations. Consistently funny and continuing to hold up well after over 25 years, Christmas Vacation is a classic.
Festive fun fact - The term "Griswold House," soon became a part of the American vernacular to describe a home that is overly decorated in a gaudy and tacky fashion for Christmas.
National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation at CeX
The Muppet Christmas Carol
With countless adaptations of A Christmas Carol out there, one shines brightly as the best. The Muppet Christmas Carol, despite its comedic tone and frequent musical numbers, follows Dickens’s story closely with love and respect, and creates not only the best adaptation of the source but the second best Christmas film of all time. Altogether now; “There goes Mr. Humbug, there goes Mr. Grim,”…
Festive fun fact – Michael Caine considers his role in this film to be one of his best and most memorable performances. Rightly so.
Muppet Christmas Carol at CeX
It’s A Wonderful Life
It couldn’t be anything else, could it? It’s A Wonderful Life is not only the finest Christmas film, but one of the best films ever made. Telling the timeless story of George Bailey - a suicidal banker shown how different the world would be without him – the film is a perennial classic for its messages of love, family and the power of Christmas to bring people together. A true delight.
Festive fun fact - despite being set around Christmas, the film was shot during a heat wave. It got so hot that director Frank Capra gave everyone a day off to recuperate.
There you have it, ladies and gentlemen!
Merry Christmas to all my readers - I hope it is a time full of love, joy and fun. Stay safe and I’ll see you in the New Year!
It's a Wonderful Life at CeX
Sam Love
